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Lou Jimenez
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Lou Jimenez2026-10-19 10:51:332026-10-19 14:22:25The Experts Have Spoken. What Will Bethlehem Do Next?
Bethlehem mayor weighs adding firefighters to 2027 budget after fire study ... See MoreSee Less
Bethlehem mayor weighs adding firefighters to 2027 budget after fire study
lehighdaily.com
The study, Bethlehem's first since 1995, recommends adding 28 firefighters over several years at about $3.1 million a year, we reported Saturday. Last December, when council rejected adding four firef...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Bethlehem firefighters, residents urge action on emergency services ... See MoreSee Less
Bethlehem firefighters, residents urge action on emergency services
www.lehighvalleypublicmedia.org
Union president says city addressed only a fraction of report’s recommendations as firefighters, residents and a councilwoman question the study’s presentation.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
THANK YOU
I am proud of our members who attended and spoke during the presentation of the Fire and EMS Study. Thank you for representing our department with professionalism and for sharing the firsthand knowledge and experience you bring to serving this community every day.
I am also grateful to the residents who attended, spoke out, and shared their concerns. The support you showed our firefighters was incredible, and it means a great deal to our members. Thank you for standing with us and advocating for the safety of our community.
It was disappointing that the company that conducted the study did not present its findings. As president of our union and a city taxpayer, I am concerned that the administration provided only a brief overview while leaving many of the study’s recommendations unaddressed. Residents funded this study and deserve the opportunity to hear directly from the experts, ask questions, and understand the reasoning behind their recommendations.
These concerns have existed throughout my career and for years before it. As Bethlehem has grown and developed, our department has lost numerous budgeted positions, a fire station, and an engine company. We have also been removed from certain emergency medical responses and experienced a period of more than four years during which no hiring took place.
These are significant reductions in the resources and services available to our community. Our firefighters continue to meet the demands placed on them, but their dedication cannot replace the staffing and resources necessary to provide safe and effective service.
Local 735 remains ready to work with the administration and City Council. Our community deserves to hear directly from the study’s authors, ask questions, and see a clear, public plan for addressing the recommendations. That includes an explanation of which recommendations the administration supports, which it does not, and why.
Our firefighters will continue doing their part, and we are asking city leaders to work with us to provide the staffing, resources, and support Bethlehem needs. Public safety must be a priority in our city. It’s time to take the necessary steps for our community.
Sincerely,
Lou Jimenez
President ... See MoreSee Less
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🚒 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING 🚑
Tonight’s meeting is for YOU, our community.
Join us at 5:30 PM at Town Hall for the Public Safety Committee meeting. Hear what the fire and EMS study recommends and what the City plans to do next.
Bring your questions, your concerns, and your family and friends. You deserve to understand what these recommendations mean for your neighborhood. Your voice matters.#IAFF #PPFFA ... See MoreSee Less
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🚨 JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT 🚨
The Public Safety Committee meets tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall to discuss Bethlehem’s Fire and EMS study.
Before the meeting, take a few minutes to read our article, which includes a quick reference guide to CPSM’s recommendations.
Please share this and bring a neighbor. Your voice matters as we work toward a safer Bethlehem. #IAFF #PPFFA #BethlehemPA 🇺🇸🚒
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The Experts Have Spoken. What Will Bethlehem Do Next? – Bethlehem IAFF Local 735
www.iafflocal735.org
The Experts Have Spoken. What Will Bethlehem Do Next?in misc, NewsA public guide to the recommendations for Bethlehem By Lou Jimenez, President, Bethlehem Firefighters IAFF Local 735 Bethlehem residen...1 CommentsComment on Facebook
We spend our careers protecting others, and we want to be here for our families long after our last shift.
Help Pennsylvania firefighters access cancer screenings. Tell the Governor and your state legislators to support HB 2826.
More time with the people we love is worth fighting for. Please share and help us get this done. ... See MoreSee Less
Protect Those Who Protect Pennsylvania: Support Cancer Screenings
www.votervoice.net
Firefighters put their health and safety on the line every day to protect our communities. The dangers of the job do not end when the fire is extinguished; they can stay with them their whole lives, i...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚒 BETHLEHEM RESIDENTS TAKE A LOOK AT THE SIMPLIFIED STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS.
These 20 images break down all 46 numbered recommendations from Bethlehem’s Fire and EMS Efficiency Study, conducted by the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM), along with two additional unnumbered recommendations in the 177 page document.
Staffing. Response times. Training. Fire stations. Equipment. Ambulance availability. Emergency preparedness. These recommendations directly affect the services our community depends on.
Your tax dollars paid for this study. You deserve to understand its findings and hear how the City plans to act on them.
Swipe through, share with your neighbors, and ask questions. Our firefighters, EMS personnel, and residents deserve a clear plan for moving these recommendations forward.
The study is complete. The work to improve public safety continues. Bethlehem Firefighters IAFF Local 735 are here to assist the city in beginning the process to improve our department. #IAFF #PPFFA #Community #safety #staffingmatters ... See MoreSee Less
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FIRE AND EMS STUDY RELEASED: Link in Article
I’m proud of our members and what they do for this community day in and day out. But let’s be clear….doing the best we can with what we have does not mean we have everything we need.
Local 735 has been advocating for additional staffing, proper officer coverage, and having firefighters respond to more high-priority medical calls for years. The CPSM study supports many of those same changes. This isn’t about what is in the past it’s about what we need to invest in for the future!
Our residents and firefighters deserve more than recommendations that stay on paper. It’s time for us to get to work.
Please take a few minutes to read the article and share it with your family, friends, and neighbors. The full Fire and EMS Efficiency Study is linked inside the article so you can read it for yourself.
Lou Jimenez
President ... See MoreSee Less
Our Firefighters Show Up Every Day. The Study Shows Why Supporting Them Matters. – Bethlehem IAFF Local 735
www.iafflocal735.org
Our Firefighters Show Up Every Day. The Study Shows Why Supporting Them Matters.in misc, NewsOur Firefighters Show Up Every Day. The Study Shows Why Supporting Them Matters. By: Lou Jimenez, President...2 CommentsComment on Facebook
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